Most Chillable Reds
by Tom Wolf
Most Chillable Reds
by Tom Wolf
A little before 8 p.m. on a warm night last June, I sat down at a Paris wine bar across from François-Régis Gaudry, host of Radio France’s On Va Déguster. The waiter arrived and Gaudry asked for a couple glasses of whatever “vin frais” he’d recommend. It wasn’t the open-ended nature of this request that caught my attention—the order was appropriately vague, exhibiting the sort of trust you place in the staff of your favorite establishment. My curiosity snagged instead on the word “frais.” Was Gaudry yearning for something specifically “fresh” or “chilled”? When the glasses arrived, it became clear that he’d meant both!
When it comes to wine—and reds in particular—this French double meaning of “frais” is so apt because cool and fresh go hand in hand. Too many glasses of red wine are consumed at room temperature—too warm!—which tends to make me think of a vase of wilting flowers. To liven up a wine and draw out its maximum aromas, flavor, and freshness, it always helps to stick a bottle in the fridge or an ice bucket several minutes before pouring a glass. Doing so, for example, will magnify the ambrosial character of a Morgon, heightening its floral side while also making its bright fruit notes taste even more refreshing and vivid. And while we often associate chilling reds with bottles that are quaffable and low-tannin, this practice can work its magic with certain bigger wines, too, like young Bandol rouge, in which a chill brings its fruit and succulence to the fore.
If you are new to cooling your red wines, consider the wines below an ideal assortment for discovering the many ways a chill can change—and improve—your favorite bottles. And if you’re a veteran of the chilled reds game, you know just how good these selections taste at their ideal temp!
Wines In The Collection
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire
This divine red allies the power and finesse one would expect from this great terroir.
Domaine du Gros ’Noré France | Provence
This full-bodied rouge, with notes of dark fruit and fragrant garrigue, is built for grilled lamb or pork chops.
Domaine de Reuilly France | Loire
Gently perfumed and full of fresh berries with the bright, stony finish typical of wines from Reuilly
France | Loire
This divine red allies the power and finesse one would expect from this great terroir.
France | Provence
This full-bodied rouge, with notes of dark fruit and fragrant garrigue, is built for grilled lamb or pork chops.
France | Loire
Gently perfumed and full of fresh berries with the bright, stony finish typical of wines from Reuilly
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